Concerned about damage to soil that cattle grazing can bring switch from cows to almonds.

In Almonds Every Which Way, More than 150 Healthy-Delicious Almond Milk, Almond Flour and Almond Butter Recipes ( Da Capo Lifelong Books, March 2014), Cheeky Kitchen Brooke McLay shows us ways to cut down on wheat and dairy products.

Here's a first dip into the book, a gluten free one

Creamy Almond Butter and Honey Apple Dip

(Gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian)

Quick and easy to toss together for snacking, almond butter and honey mixed with yogurt make a great dip for apples, strawberries, or slices of bananas and kiwi. Little cubes of banana bread also pair well with this yummy dip.

3 tablespoons creamy almond butter
4 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into ½-inch slices.

1. Whip the almond butter, cream cheese, yogurt, and honey together in a medium bowl and chill for 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
2. Sprinkle with the apple pie spice before serving. Serve with the apple slices for dipping.

Makes 8 servings

Per serving
(1/8 recipe)
Calories: 121
Calories from Fat: 72
Total Fat: 8.0g, 12%
Saturated Fat: 3.3g, 17%
Total Carb: 12.2g, 4%
Dietary Fiber: 1.9g, 7%
Sugars: 9.4g
Protein: 2.4g
Cholesterol: 16mg, 5%
Sodium: 63mg, 3%

Grain-free, vegetarian dip for Green Day # 267

(* Recipe from Almonds Every Which Way by Brooke McLay. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014, Photo credit: Brooke McLay, Franklin Bennett, and Melanie North)

I am no scientist or more precisely oceanologist so i cannot vouch for Ocean's Halo Seaweed Chips creators when then claim that ocean is most sustainable farm on the planet.

If nothing else their seaweed chips are low cal, low salt and gluten free.

Bag is compostable

Seeing sea chips on horizon for Green Day # 266

Previously: Your Old Kitchen Cabinets Become Someone's New Design via Habitat for Humanity 'ReStores'

Giving your kitchen a makeover often means that your old cabinets and appliances will either end in a landfill or wait for pickup on your sidewalk on bulk day.

Alternative is to give them to someone you know who could use them or to ask Habitat for Humanity to take it off your hands for one of their ReStores outlets.

I did not know until today that there is one in my New Jersey county.

Your old kitchen cabinets become someone's new design.

Remake-remodel-recycle for Green Day # 265

From Carlos Felipe Pardo of Despacio (Columbia) to Jeppe Mikél Jensen, "a Social Geographer and Communication Consultant currently working as a sustainability and mobility consultant for the Union of the Baltic Cities Commission on Environment (Turku, Finland)" and Esther Anaya (Catalonia) "doing research about public bicycles, cycling mobility history in Spain and bicycle mobility integration in schools", 25 authors contributed one chapter each to a book, Cyclists and Cycling around the World documenting how to create liveable and bikeable cities.

Where in wealthy countries, riding a bike is often a lifestyle-evironmentally minded choice, in Africa for example, groups like Coop Africa (cycling out of poverty) help people generate income (fruit bars on wheels, garbage collection, deliveries), education with rides to school and healthcare (bike4care, bike ambulances and bikes for healthcare workers so they can reach patients as shown below). 

I heard about the book via Mikael Colville-Andersen of Copenhagenize who was in Lima for book launch (he took photo of his copy of book as shown below)

Life on 2 Wheels around the globe in 1 book for Green Day # 264

Previously: From CSA to CSF, Dock to Dish brings Community Supported Fisheries to New York

(* Bike4Care image from Coop-Africa Facebook Page)

A man whose 2 passions are fishing and cooking, Sean Barrett was among the speakers at TEDxMontclair (November 9, 2013) at Montclair State University.

Inspired by Community Supported Agriculture, he founded Dock to Dish based in Montauk (New York) to bring that model to Community Supported Fisheries in New York area.

Dock to Dish aims to shorten the chain between fisherman and fish in your dish to allow fishermen to make a living from their catch and bring a fish from boat to plate in 24 hours or less.

They also embrace sustainability by being careful on what and where to fish and want to promote species native to the Eastern seabord.

Fresh fish does not smell!

Also present at TEDxMontclair was organic farmer Wenonah Hauter author of Foodopoly (New Press, December 2012)

Fresh catch for Green Day # 263

Previously: Track your Energy Use with 'Energy Calculator' in 'Serge the Concierge' Right Sidebar 

Focusing on the useful rather than the nebular, I thought it would not hurt to share Greener Gadgets 'Energy Calculator' by installing it in right sidebar of 'Serge the Concierge'.

Let us know what you think of this addition!

A Greener Fall and Winter for Green Day # 262

Previously: 79 Per Cent Grand Cru Bar from Foraged Grenada Cocoa, Thomas Haas ONE! Bar

Foraging has almost become a must do thing for any chef with a bit of a following.

I cannot remember tasting chocolate made from foraged cocoa beans so news of the release of limited edition ONE! Bar by Thomas Haas in Vancouver caught my eye.

"Available at the two Thomas Haas cafés in North Vancouver and Kitsilano and select high-end retailers, is priced at $11.75 and arriving on store shelves Oct. 22, 2013, each box of two 50-gram bars is adorned with a uniquely numbered stamp." 

This limited release has a 1000 pieces run, all numbered.

Wild beans for Green Day # 261

Previously:

Pan-European Team Created 'Eccoci' Carbon Neutral Spanish Winery and French Leaning White Blend

An Italian jeweler is one of those who created Eccoci, the first certified Carbon Neutral winery in Spain. Green leanings make sense considering their location not far from Girona near natural reserve of 'Les Gavarres'.

I tasted some of their wines a few weeks ago.

White wine offered by Eccoci is a blend of 50% Roussanne, 30% Viognier and 20% Petit Manseng harvested from Ca l'Elsa and Can Nobas that might sound more at home in Southern France than Spain.

One has to note that French border is only one hour away.

At first take label made it look like this white blend was 'tuvis'.

It is a floral, citrussy wine, perfect for sipping with friends or at a party.

Carbon Neutral Wine for Green Day # 260

Previously:

Food World Travails in Images and Words, Alimenterre Festival 2013, Brussels, October 16-20

Brussels hosts 5th Edition of Festival Alimenterre presented by SOS Faim.

It explores in images and words the food world's ills from October 16 to October 20, 2013.

Film program is evenly divided between French and English language documentaries.

4 English language entries:

The Food Speculator (2012), Seeds of Freedom (2012), Land Rush (2011) and Canning Paradise (2012)

4 French language entries:

Les Semences Prennent Le Maquis (2011), Terres a Taire (2010), Slow Food (2010) and Pierre Rahbi, Au Nom de la Terre (2013).

Besides film screenings, Festival Alimenterre offers a number of panel discussions on topics as varied as fish stock grab, future of native seeds, soy history...

The sunday afternoon Cooking Workshop at La Tricoterie on how to combine traditional Afghan recipes with sustainable agriculture is sold out.

Brussels on menu for 1 day late Green Day # 259

Previously: Pickle Your Way to Green Life with Melbourne Style Pickled Cucumbers

"In 2006 a group of Jewish women in Sydney, Australia began meeting every Monday morning - they cooked, ate, drank endless cups of tea and discussed the merits of different recipes. After just a few weekly meetings the Monday Morning Cooking Club was born. Five years and hundreds of dishes later, six members of the sisterhood handpicked their favorite recipes to go into their book."

Pickle your way to a greener life with this recipe from Monday Morning Cooking Club (Harper Collins USA, September 2013).